Desperate Favor
by Prince Pyro
Summary: Cloud and Aeris check into a local inn after a difficult afternoon of skirmish, and discuss an issue that plucks their heartstrings...


Desperate Favor

A Final Fantasy VII fanfic

*The door to a tavern inn can be heard closing harshly from the upstairs rooms.*

*There is a jingle of metal-based currency, and the sound of exasperated, relieved giggles. The footsteps of two people can be heard stomping roughly upon the sodden wodden steps, heading towards the upstairs rooms, one of the pair of footsteps more delicate than the other. Louder and louder they grow, finally stopping in front of a door, it creaking noisely as they swung it open, two figures stepping past the threshold gingerly.*

"Room 2-8...this looks like the one., said Cloud as he limped slightly into the quiet room. That was a close one...if you hadn't distracted that monster, Aeris, we would have been done for."

*Aeris walks into the room, laying her Metal Staff against the wall, breathing heavily.*

"Yeah, I know...we...almost...weren't...able...to...take it down.", she panted, chest heaving.

"Yeah...hey Aeris, I have to ask you something...", Cloud said, pulling his sword off of his back.

*Cloud then placed his sword against the wall as Aeris did. He turned back around to face her once again.*

"Could you use you Healing Wind technique? I think we could really use it..."

*Aeris then looks to the floor as if she was contemplating, then looks back up at Cloud.*

"I think so..., she said nodding gently. We just had a pretty rough battle. Let me try, ok?"

*Cloud nods and watches Aeris move towards the wall and pick up her Metal Staff, crossing his arms. Aeris then closes her eyes, concentrating hard. After a few moments silence, she lifts her staff into air and begans twirling it in synchronized circles. After doing so, she then grasps the staff firmly around it's middle. After a short silence, a glowing ocean blue light began emanating from where her hands rested, filling the humble room with it's brilliance. Suddenly, a low sweeping wind began to brush across the interior of the room. The wind then grew into a full rush, striking them against their skin with a warming, soothing washing over them. The wind then died down, exiting as if it were never there.*

*Aeris lifts her head and smiles at Cloud.*

"Phew...I feel so much better now!", Aeris said, letting go a sigh of relief.

"Yeah, that always does the trick.", said Cloud, taking time to walk over to the bed and rest on it.

*Aeris smiles again, then gasps when she notices Cloud's shoulder. She walks over to the bed, kneels in front of him and moves towards his shoulder.*

"Oh, Cloud!, Aeris says with a worried look on her face. You're still bleeding a bit..."

"I'm fine. It's not bad.", Cloud murmurs quietly while Aeris wipes the blood away with a piece of torn cloth.

"That may be..., said Aeris, still looking worried. But if my Heaing Wind begins to not be enough to heal you, the next time, you may not be so fine."

"You worry too much.", Cloud says with a uncaring expression.

*Aeris narrows her eyes, grimacing a Cloud for a bit. She then pulls out another piece of torn cloth and moves back to his shoulder.*

"Well...I don't care what you say, Mr. Nonchalant. As long as you have wounds and I'm here I'm going to make sure they get tended to. So...stop...", she mutters, pulling the knot roughly.

"OW!", Cloud yelps.

"...being stubborn!", Aeris finishes, pulling the knot even more tightly, with a smirk on her face.

*Cloud looks down and her with a cold look. Aeris then returns it with a smile.*

"How's it feel?", she asked, still smiling and moving away from his shoulder looking him in the face.

"It doesn't hurt as much...with some and no thanks to you.", he said wincing a bit.

"Well, it served you right...always acting like you don't care about anything, knowing very well you do."

"Well, I don't have time for caring...I just work, plain and simple.", he said, looking away slightly.

"Hmph. Well if you don't care about anything, why did you agree to help me?"

"I did it because it seemed like you really could have used the help. That's all."

"Okay...do you not need to care in order want to help someone?", Aeris asked, tilting her head.

"I don't...", Cloud said simply.

*Aeris then closes her eyes for a moment then looks back at him.*

"I see...how sad for you, Cloud."

"Not really.", he said, shaking his head once and shrugging.

*Aeris then decides to walk over to the bed, placing her staff on the bedpost, sitting next to Cloud.*

"So...were you always like this...were you always so serious about everything?", asked him, turning her head towards him.

"There's no need to talk about it. I always tell Tifa the same thing..."

"Tifa? Is that...a girl?, Aeris asked, sounding suddenly annoyed.

*Cloud then blinked a couple more times than usual, answering her after slight hesitation.*

"Yeah. She's a girl.", he said plainly.

*There was more silence, and Aeris twitched about uncomfortably where she sat.*

"Oh...another girl."

*Cloud quickly intercepts her before Aeris goes too far.*

"No, no...it isn't like that! We are childhood friends! Only childhood friends..."

"Okay, if you say so. But still...this Tifa had better not interfere with the date you promised me!"

*Cloud's eyes opened widely*

"Date? I agreed to a date?", asked Cloud in disbelief.

"Yes, you agreed to a date! And you'd better live up to your promise!", Aeris said, sounding stern.

*Cloud then shrugs yet again*

"Doesn't seem like I have much of a choice..."

"Nope! You sure don't!", Aeris said with a joyful giggle.

*Cloud smirks a little out of the corner of his mouth, looking across the room.*

Aha! You just smiled! I saw you!, Aeris announced with glee.

"So what if I smiled?", Cloud questioned.

"So...that means you're not made of as much stone as you say you are...in fact, I bet deep down, you're a real emotional guy."

*Cloud says nothing, but looks at Aeris with a dull look on his face.*

"Cloud...I'm serious though...you must know what it feels like to receive love and to give it back, don't you? I just refuse to believe that you haven't.", Aeris said, looking downtrodden.

"Why are we even talking about this?"

"I know you do...even if you're a troubled person. Well...you're still a person."

"Again, why do you care?"

"Because I do, Cloud. I care because I'm a person. That's all the explanation I have.", she said looking at Cloud's silent figure.

"Cloud...how long has it been...?"

"How long has what been?"

*Aeris then looks down and sighs*

"How long has it been...since someone showed you an act of love, Cloud?"

*Cloud stays silent, almost as if ignoring her.*

*Aeris then edges a little closer to him, placing her hand on his shoulder. She then begins to rub it gently, stroking up and down his arm.*

"Aeris...what are you doing?", Cloud asked as Aeris touched his chin, tugging at it delicately.

"Don't you get it by now, Cloud? For once, let somebody do something for you...", she whispered, pushing her face even closer to his.

*Aeris moves her face even closer, their lips only inches apart now, Cloud trying to discern what to do.*

"Aeris, whispers Cloud as her lips came within touching distance. Don't do this..."

*Aeris smiles and embraces Cloud's hand in hers.*

"But that's just the thing, Cloud...it because I want to do this...that makes it so special for not just me...but for you as well. And that's why...", she continued, their lips so close together. "...it's called...an act..."

*Finally, she allowed their moist lips to meet. She reveled in the moment, pressing her tender lips against his. The feeling so intense, a tear came to her eye, falling gently onto the blankets under them. After a brief moment, a moment that seemingly lasted forever, she slowly pulled away from his lips, looking deep into his glowing sapphire eyes.*

"...of love", she ended.

*They both sat in silence, one waiting for the other to speak. Finally, someone spoke.*

"Aeris...there are a lot of things about me that I'm not ready to tell you...things I'm not ready to tell myself...so...what I'm saying is...", he stammered.

"Yes...?", Aeris said with an expectant look on her face.

"...give it some time. I'm...not ready to give and receive love yet. Right now...I need to stay strong. For now...we should focus on keeping you out of Shinra's reach. Alright?"

*Aeris smiles and lays her head on Cloud's shoulder, letting her eyelids fall slightly.*

"Alright., she said, nodding. Maybe we can save it...for another day...", she looking up at him.

*Cloud looks back at her with a small smirk.*

"Maybe..."

*After staring at eachother for a little longer, Cloud stands up and looks at Aeris*

"Well, we should rest up...we have to get to the Sector 7 slums tomorrow. So we should turn in now.", he said looking down, then walking over toward the corner.

*Aeris nods*

"Sweet dreams, Cloud.", Aeris says through a smile.

*Cloud returns the smile and nods back*

"Sweet dreams, Aeris."

*Cloud then walks over to a corner of the room, sitting down and laying his head back. He then closes his eyes, and begins to drift away to sleep.*

*Aeris sits up in bed for a moment or two, watching Cloud lull into dreamland. She sighs and whispers something under her breath.*

"You look just like him...yet you're completely you're own person. And you know...a girl like me could really see myself falling in love with someone like you...Cloud Strife..."

*Aeris then laid her head on the pillow, her mind swimming with hope and fantasies.*

~ FIN~ 


End file.
